artists

Artistic Directors

The Dancers

Costume Designer

Musicians

Set Designers

Light Designers

Make up

Artistic Directors

Harry Mavromichalis is from Cyprus but has spent many of his teenage years in England and Bahrain. He began his dance training at the Motion Art Studio in Cyprus and then moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. During his studies there he came in contact with Milton Myers who inspired him to move to the USA. He entered Montclair State University and after a year he was accepted at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. In 1999 he received a scholarship at Steps on Broadway where he remained for 3 years.

In the United States he has performed at venues such as the Carnegie Hall, Tribeca Performing Arts Center and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. He has worked with Mary Seidman and Dancers, Freespace, the Hudson Vagaabond Puppets, Randy James Dance Works, Stephan Koplowitz, Maxine Steinman and Wendy Taucher.

In Cyprus he danced for Amphidromo Chorotheatro and the Cyprus Theatre Organization where he had the great honor to perform at the ancient amphitheatre of Epidavros.

Apart from his company, Harry tries to promote dance to young children through teaching residencies, and through the creation of a summer school in Cyprus where professional dance teachers from New York hold intensive classes for young aspiring dancers.

Ayelen Liberona: Born in Toronto to Chilean parents, Ayelen is a nomad by nature. She has performed, taught and trained in Canada, Cuba, Brazil, the U.S., Korea and Europe, in academies such as The National Ballet School of Canada, Alvin Ailey and with top masters from various styles of dance and movement.  Her background includes: Ballet, Modern, Jazz, West African, Afro-Cuban, Hip Hop, Tai Chi, Qi Kong, Capoeira, Yoga and the Gyrotonic Method. Committed to the study of dance from around the world, she completed her BA in Cultural Anthropology specializing in dance and ritual at the University of Toronto. As an artist she is committed to exploring the space beyond boundaries and building collaborations that inspire.

Ayelen is co-artistic director and choreographer of Dance Anonymous,collaborating with founder and co-director Harry Mavromichalis in the creation of original dance works.  Ayelen also collaborates with Bessie award winner Noemie LaFrance as performer and rehearsal director and with the Wes Veldink Movement.  She has worked and played with artists such as, Louis Falco, Gabrielle Roth, Jenn Goodwin, Siona Jackson, cellist Rubin Kodheli, and with companies’ Ballet Jorgen, Womb and Bale Folklorico do Bahia.

Ayelen has been the recipient of several grants from organizations such as Laidlaw Foundation and BRAVO Arts Channel, for her gifts as dancer, choreographer and producer.  She has worked on numerous feature films, dance films and music videos aired on TV networks world wide and at international film festivals and art galleries.  Ayelen’s choreography has been commissioned by Dusk Dances Festival Canada and performed in Belgium, Luxembourg and Cyprus as well as numerous other theatres, festivals and parks across the U.S. and Canada.

As a dance teacher, Ayelen has taught her own style of movement acrossNorth and South America, at schools such as Broadway Dance Center (NYC), Columbia University, Arts Umbrella (Vancouver), Circus Spasso (Brazil), N.H.S (Texas), Ballet Jorgen School of Classical and Contemporary Dance (Toronto) and for Toronto’s hottest Harbourfront Arts Festivals. In 2000, Ayelen was the recipient of the Toronto Dollar Foundation Grant for implementing dance and leadership programs for inner city youth and since has been in demand by the Boards of Education, of both Toronto and New York City.

The Dancers

Bafana Solomon Matea is from South Africa. He started dancing at Pro Art Alphen Park School in Pretoria where he was discovered by Ms. Judith Jamison, the artistic director of the Alvin Ailey Dance School where he studied for two years. In August 2000, he joined Ballet Hispanico as a full time member. He has performed with the Alvin Ailey company at City Center, Avila/Weeks Dance at the Guggenheim Museum, Max Luna, Colin Connor and Makosso Nicaise at the Ailey School, and Stephan Koplowitz at the Grand Central Station. He is currently a member of Elisa Monte. Solomon is a founding member of Dance Anonymous.

 

Tanja Konjar-Hall was born in 1979 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Before coming to the USA her teacher and choreographer Fred Lasserre introduced her to modern dance and invited her to perform with the Slovenian Dance Project all over Europe. In 1998 she came to New York to study at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center due to her admiration for the Horton Technique. She chose New York because she loved how the many cultures coexisted together in a peaceful yet dynamic way. Tanja is a founding member of Dance Anonymous.





 

Tiffany Rea from Central California has been dancing ever since she can remember. In 2003, she graduated from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College SUNY where she continued her training in modern and ballet. Currently she is getting her certification in Pilates. She has also toured Spain in collaboration with Compania de Burgos for which she received National acclaim for her performances. She has since worked with the Brett Howard Company, Opus Dance Theatre and The Kevin Wynn Collection with whom she performed at the Lincoln Center out of Doors Festival in August of 2003. Ms. Rea began dancing with Dance Anonymous in the Spring of 2004.

Costume Designer

Yiorgos Bellapaisiotis is from Nicosia, Cyprus. He is a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York with a BFA in Fashion Design. He is a recipient of the Silver Thimble Award by DKNY and two Gold Thimble Awards by Cynthia Steffe and the known Hollywood costume designer, Donald Brooks. His work has been presented at the City Corp Center in New York and Paris Mode in France. American, Canadian and European magazines have published his work while his design was at the front cover of the “London Sunday Times” Newspaper.

He designed the costumes for various shows in New York and abroad including “La Fontaine in Africa” at the Florence Guild Hall, “Within” and “In the Borders of Ignorance” by Dance Anonymous, “Sky is the Limit” and “Liobani” by Avgi Papakyriakou at the National Theatre of Cyprus. He has worked next to Alexander McQueen, and with the Haute Couture Fashion House – Koos Van Den Akker. He is currently working with the Japanese Designer in New York, Akira.
 

Exclusive: Click here to see illustrations by Yiorgos Bellapaisiotis for Dance Anonymous' Petra: The Awakening of Myth which premiered in September 2004 in Cyprus

Musicians

Rubin Kodheli was born in the capitol of Albania, Tirana and began playing the cello at the age of 7.  In 1993, Mr. Kodheli, moved to Belgium where he studied at L’Academie d”Uccle and then the following year continued his studies in Munich at the Richard Strauss Konservatorium.  In 2001, he graduated from the Juilliard  School where he studied on full scholarship with the distinguished performer and teacher, Fred Sherry.  Rubin recently performed with renowned Jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas, performing with his Nomad ensemble at the Village Vanguard and touring throughout the US and Europe.

In April of 2004 he recorded for the new album by Makoto Ozone with performances in NYC and more. Rubin frequently collaborates and performs with legendary singer and composer Joan LaBarbara, recently premiering an opera entitled, The Wolf Songs.  He is a soloist with the Electronic Music Foundation of New York, since 2002.  He has played with Ne(x)tworks performing the music of composers such as John Cage, Morton Feldman and Earl Brown.  With Nurse Kaya he played his own compositions, at venues such as Hancock County Jail, The Knitting Factory among others.  Nurse Kaya, received a Chamber Music of America grant in 2004 to support a US tour.  Other credits include touring with The Ahn Trio (2003), New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall (’97/’04) and recordings for Gabrielle Roth and Mario Gregov at Amber Music.

Rubin has enjoyed numerous collaborations with dance companies such as The Parsons Dance Company, Stephen Petronio Dance and artist Maureen Fleming.  He is currently building a partnership with dancer/choreographer Ayelen Liberona, together creating their own unique vision of music and dance, which they perform at festivals and theatres across North America and Europe. Mr. Kodheli’s own compositions have been aired live on WNYC, performed at The Joyce Theatre, Williamsburg Art Nexus, Knitting Factory, Bowery Poetry Club, CBGB Gallery, La Mama and at Dusk Dances Festival in Toronto, Canada.  In September 2003, his work was performed by Musicians Sans Frontieres with legendary guitarist G.E Smith at Merkin Hall.

Heather Schmidt, pianist and composer, has emerged as one of the most talented, exciting and versatile musicians of her generation.  She has received national and international recognition through performances, broadcasts, commissions and awards in North America, South America and Europe.  Originally from Calgary, Alberta, she is currently based in the United States.

Heather received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Indiana University with double majors in composition and piano performance.  In 1996, at the age of 21, she became the youngest student to ever to receive a Doctor of Music degree from that institution. She subsequently completed two years of professional studies at Juilliard in New York City, studying composition with Milton Babbitt and piano with Yoheved Kaplinsky.

Heather began studying piano at the age of four and composition at the age of five. One year later, she made her first public appearance, and has been performing ever since. She has given solo recitals throughout North America, and has performed concerti with many Canadian orchestras.

Recently she performed with the Aguascalientes Orchestra in Mexico. In October 2003, Heather was invited by the Governor General of Canada to perform with cellist Shauna Rolston and soprano Measha Brueggergosman as part of Canada’s state delegation visit to Finland and Iceland.

Awards in piano performance include first prize in the 2001 Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition, and First Place, the Audience Choice Award, and the Maestro’s Choice Millennium Foundation Award at the 2000 Canadian Concerto Competition. Earlier awards include first prize in the 1992 Austrian-Canadian Mozart Competition, and the Rose Bowl and Gold Medal for “most outstanding performer” at the Kiwanis Music Festival.

In addition to a busy performing schedule, Heather is the composer-in-residence for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in Ontario, Canada (2002-05).  She has won many prestigious national and international prizes in composition including three consecutive BMI awards, the Zwilich Prize in the International League of Woman Composers, the Robert Fleming Prize from Canada Council, and a Fleck Fellow Award from the Banff Centre. In 2003 she was a prize winner of the Polytech Choir’s 100th Anniversary Composition Competition in Finland, and was also nominated for a Juno Award for her Cello Concerto, under the category of “Best Classical Composition.”

Commercial recordings featuring Heather as pianist and/or composer include her newly
released solo piano CD “Solus” on the Centrediscs label, which features music by Heather Schmidt, Kelly-Marie Murphy, Allan Bell and Malcolm Forsyth. The Amernet Quartet’s performance of her string quartet Phantoms is available on a CD entitled “Music from Banff – Live from Carnegie Hall” (Marquis label, EMI Canada).   Heather’s Cello Concerto (1998) was recorded by cellist Shauna Rolston with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra under Mario Bernardi, and was released in 2001 by CBC Records on “This is the Colour of My Dreams.”


William Catanzaro – “A Time of Change”
Mr Catanzaro is a composer pianist and percussionist based in New York. Since arriving from his native Buenos Aires in 1989 Mr. Catanzaro has worked, performed and/or composed musical scores nationally and internationally for Anna Sokolow’s Player’s Project, New Danish Dance Theater, TanzFabrik Berlin, Amsterdam Theatreschool, Steve Paxton, Viola Farber and Milton Myers.

He is the composer and conductor of MinM Musicians in Masques and Co-Artistic Director of SOULSKIN Performing Arts Group. He is currently on faculty at the Alvin Ailey School, Sarah Lawrence College and Steps on Broadway, and is the Music Director of the Young Dancemakers Company

If you would like to sample or purchase William's music, visit: www.cdbaby.com/catanzaro


Francis Jacob – “The Urge of Being”
Mr Jacob grew up in Switzerland and has performed with many West African stars such as Kine Lam from Senegal, and Sekoube Kandia Kouyate from Guinea. He wrote the music and directed the production of 'Four Tales by La Fontaine' which included dance, singing and story telling and was presented in New York City. He is leading a trio which he writes the music and he is part of the underground jazz scene in New York.



James Manno – “In Dreams”
Mr Manno has composed, produced and arranged music across the genres including latin, rap, pop, film scores and jingles. Credits include 'Teenage Date Rape Documentary', Skyline Productions for Time Warner and HBO, 'The Garbage Man' starring Frank Stallone and Joe Esteves and jingles for companies such as Levis, Hersheys and Chevy.

Mr. Manno is the owner of JAMMAN PRODUCTIONS Recording Studio.  Visit his studio on the web at www.jammanproductions.com
 

Set Designers

Jon Craine was born in 1974, in Hollywood, Florida, and grew up on Long Island, New York. He earned a B.A. in Studio Art and Theater from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont. Jon studied industrial design at Mass College of Art, Boston, Massachusetts, and Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California.

Jon is an accomplished set designer and scenic artist with over 100 projects under his belt. He has created sets, scenery, and props for film, television, theater, concerts, and events. In addition, Jon has designed and produced themed environments for museums, nightclubs, mixed-use entertainment venues, and theme parks. His extensive work in entertainment design can be seen around the world.

Jon has worked with Disney and Universal Studios. His work at Dollywood Theme Park has earned him the praise of Dolly Parton. He has collaborated on the stage design for the 2000 world tour of the classic rock band Chicago, as well as the 2001 European tour of The Offspring. He has also contributed to the design of the massive staged environment for the 2002 multimedia exhibition Stardust at the Museum of Science & Technology in Paris. Recent achievements have included a theatrical stage design for Cirque Productions, which was featured in Lighting Dimensions magazine, and the collaboration with a multidisciplinary design group in Singapore, resulting in an exhibit for Singapore’s National Trade Union Congress Awareness Centre.

Jon currently lives in Brooklyn, where he operates his studio, Craine Entertainment Design & Themeing.
 

Patrick Larsen began his career almost ten years ago as a scenic artist/painter and sculptor.  He has an MFA in scenic design from the University of California, San Diego, and has designed sets at regional and community theatres across the country including the Utah Festival Opera, the Old Lyric Rep. (Utah), Theatre Vertigo (Portland, OR), the Marines memorial theatre (San Francisco, CA), and the American Theatre of Actors (NYC).  He was the associate designer for the new play “Wintertime”, by Charles Mee, at the Long Wharf Theatre, and designed the world premier of “a Feast of Fools” at the La Jolla Playhouse, starring acclaimed comedian Geoff Hoyle.  He was the production designer on the short films “Happy Holidayz from the Jonzes” directed by the Flying Canter Brothers and “One of Many” a period film, directed by Joseph Camerieri.  His experience in set design, photography, production design, videography, and video editing has given him an eclectic knowledge and interest in creating a broad range of experimental and innovative works of art.  You can view his portfolio online at www.patrickolarsen.com

Panikos Tempriotis graduated from the School of Fine Art in Italy. He is a sculptor and a set designer. He has designed the sets for movies like “Espresso” by Thodoris Nicolaides, “Kato Apo Ta Astra” by Christos Georgiou, and short length movies by Marinos Kartikis. One of his projects was for productions by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus. Panikos has also worked for theatrical/dance performances such as “A Time of Change” by Dance Anonymous, Liobani by Avgi Papakyriakou, and has worked extensively with Dionysos Theater.

Light Designers

Clifton Taylor, lighting designer, has created designs for: Rambert Dance Company (London), American Ballet Theatre (NY), the San Francisco Ballet, the Scottish National Ballet, Les Grandes Ballets Canadiens, Ballet de Lorraine (Nancy, France), Ballet Jazz de Montreal, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (NY), Maggio Danza (Florence, Italy), Sardono Dance Theatre (Indonesia), and the Ballet Company of Rio de Janeiro among many others. Other work includes the landmark US tour of Cambodian dance theatre by the Royal Cambodian Ballet: Dance: The Spirit of Cambodia; and recent new dances by Karole Armitage, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Lynn Taylor Corbett, Geoffrey Holder, Lar Lubovitch, and Elisa Monte.   His work has also been seen on French National Television, PBS and extensively on New York Public Television’s Metro Arts 13.   Other choreographers for whom he has designed include: Helgi Thomasson, Trey MacIntyre, Maria Benitez, Adam Hougland and Farruquito.  His theater and opera credits include “Frozen” (Broadway), the New York City Opera, the American Conservatory Theater (San Francisco), the Dallas Theater Center, the Cleveland Playhouse (resident lighting designer), the Irish Repertory Theater (NY) and New York’s acclaimed MCC Theater.
 

Paul Hudson has designed scenery and lighting for theater, dance, and television in New York City for almost ten years.  Recent credits include scenery for the Berkshire Theatre Festival’s “Tommy”, and “Spokesong” at the Storm Theatre; lighting on “Full Frontal Fashion” for the WE channel, Synaesthetic Theatre’s “Icon Project”, the Tribeca Film Festival’s World Premiere Venue, and as associate lighting designer to Leni Schwendinger on her permanent installation at the Seattle Opera House, “Dreaming in Color” (lumen award). He has designed in venues ranging from experimental theaters on New York’s lower east side, to The Kitchen and PS 122, to Carnegie Hall, and loves working with light in almost any form.   Paul received his MFA from New York University for design in 1999.
 

Make Up

Make up and hair is designed by Maria Michael. Ms. Michael was born and grew up in the U.K. She began her hairdressing and beauty therapy studies at the London College of Fashion. After working as a beauty therapist in London, a special love for make-up took her back to college to study Theatrical Make-up and wig making. Whilst there, her achievements included designing the make up for the college theater production of 'A midsummer nights dream' ; providing makeovers for visitors to 'The Clothes Show' and wining the college make-up competition entitled 'Get up and Dance' which allowed her to represent her college in the DIBI make-up annual awards. Moving to Cyprus in 1993, Ms Michael was the head make-up artist for the national magazine 'Selides' and worked as a freelancer for other magazines . She also specialized in Bridal make-up and she opened her own beauty salon, being the Nina Ricci facial specialist salon for Cyprus. Presently, she is the Head of the Beauty Therapy department at Intercollege.


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